The parliament voted 92-10 in favor of the bill, spurred on by the belief that the organization is providing cover for Hamas-aligned people to aid the terrorist cell.

While the law has not been immediately implemented, the announcement of its passage drew strong condemnation from the UNRWA, the United States, and others.

“The vote by the Israeli Parliament against UNRWA is unprecedented. It opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law,” UNRWA claimed in a statement after the vote. “Failing to push back against these bills will weaken our common multilateral mechanism. This should be a concern to all.”

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini also reacted to the law, calling it the “latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine Refugees.”

“These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell,” Lazzarini said.

UNRWA maintains over 12,000 personnel in Gaza that cater to civilian needs for food, water, healthcare, education, and other humanitarian services.

However, the U.N. agency has been plagued with scandal as multiple members have been accused of or confirmed to be working for Hamas.

More than a dozen countries pulled their funding for UNRWA following accusations in January that approximately 19 UNRWA staff members contributed to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and sparked the current conflict.

The U.N. Office of Oversight Services investigated UNRWA but reported in August that it “was not able to independently authenticate information used by Israel to support the allegations” in 10 cases.

“With respect to the remaining nine cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the 7 October attacks,” the watchdog reported.

Since January, all countries that froze funding to UNRWA have resumed contributions — except the United States.

UNRWA confirmed last week that Muhammad Abu Attawi, a Hamas commander who was documented killing Israelis on Oct. 7 at the Kibbutz Re’im, was employed by the agency since 2022.

Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA from its territory is in direct disagreement with the U.S. State Department, which has consistently defended the importance of the agency in the region.

“We have made quite clear to the government of Israel that we are deeply concerned by this proposed legislation,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday prior to the law’s passage.

The spokesman warned that “passage of this legislation could have implications under U.S. law and U.S. policy.”

“UNRWA plays a critical, important role in delivering humanitarian assistance to civilians who need it in Gaza,” Miller continued, stating that the U.S. will “consider next steps based on what happens in the days ahead.”